Page 42 of Chained Fate
But that was back then.Now I’m a grown woman and Alexei’s wife, and I should look presentable at all times.
I creep toward the bedroom as quietly as I can, but they must hear me anyway.The voices fall silent.A second later, footsteps sound in the hallway, and Alexei enters the living room, followed by a tall, steely-eyed man I recognize as his head of security—Chekhov, I believe.
Oops.Too late.
Sheepishly, I meet Alexei’s gaze—and forget all about my appearance.
I’ve never seen his face so dark, his eyes so… hellishly bleak.
My stomach plummets.
Did something happen?Did someone die?
Instinct propels me across the room, toward Alexei, but before I can ask him anything, he turns to Chekhov and says curtly, “You know what to do for now.We’ll figure out the rest tonight.”
The man nods and disappears down the hallway.A moment later, I hear the elevator doors slide shut.
He’s gone.We’re alone.
“How are you feeling?”Alexei asks before I can question him.His voice softens, his gaze losing some of the bleakness as it travels over me.“Did you get some rest?”
I wave that away with an impatient hand.“Areyouokay?Did something happen?”
He stills, an expressionless mask falling over his features.“Such as?”His tone is exaggeratedly bland.
I narrow my eyes.“You tell me.”A thought occurs to me, and I gasp out loud.“Is it my brothers?Did they do something?”
He sighs, his expression softening again.“No, Alinyonok.It’s nothing like that.It’s… family stuff.”
Hisfamily, he means.Which I’m apparently not considered a part of.
The hurt that spears me is as sharp as it is illogical.It shouldn’t matter if he doesn’t trust me enough to confide in me about Leonov family matters.We’ve only just moved past being enemies to… whatever we are now.Until today, I couldn’t even admit that I want to be with him, so why should I be surprised that he’s not ready to tell me every deep, dark secret?
Then again, maybe he’ll never tell me.Maybe that’s not the kind of relationship he’s envisioning for us.As he’s demonstrated over the past few weeks, he definitely wants me and cares about me, but he might see me more as a pretty pet to cuddle than a life partner to share problems with.
I swallow the bitterness coating my tongue at the thought.“Okay.I understand.”
I’m about to turn away when he speaks.“You don’t.And I don’t want you to.”His voice is hard.
I nod, trying to ignore the irrational pang of hurt.“Because you don’t know me that well yet.Or trust me.I get it.”
“Because you don’t need even more reasons to hate me or my family,” he says harshly, and before I can react to that bombshell, he leans down and places a tender kiss on my forehead, then steps back.“I’m going to take a walk to clear my head, okay?I’ll see you in a?—”
“Wait!”I grab his arm.“Take me with you.”
He frowns.“Alinynok, you’re not?—”
“I’m well enough, I promise.And I’ve been so, so cooped up.”It’s not a lie.After the nap, I feel sufficiently energetic, and I have been stuck indoors since… well, since I met Birgit and she took me in.“Please, Alexei, I’dkillfor a walk.”
Alexei’s eyebrows rise, and I pull my hand back, my stomach twisting as I realize what I’ve said.Between being rushed into surgery and the grueling treatment protocol that followed, I’ve managed not to think too much about the man whose throat I slit, but I haven’t forgotten him.
He has featured prominently in more than one of my nightmares over the past few weeks.
My face must reflect what I’m thinking because Alexei clasps my shoulders in a firm grip and says, “Do not go there.It was self-defense at its most basic.He attackedyou, remember?”
I take a deep breath and nod.I’ve been telling myself that as well, and it helps, but not entirely.I still took a life.That man, potential rapist or not, had been someone’s son, brother, friend.Even now, there must be people mourning him.
Alexei’s eyes narrow on my face.“You’re still thinking about that piece of shit, aren’t you?”Before I can reply, he sighs and says, “Listen, your brothers and I didn’t tell you this because we didn’t want to stir up any bad memories in case you’d moved on, but you did the world a favor by getting rid of him.That night, you wouldn’t have been that fucker’s first victim.He was accused of rape twice in the past five years.”
